


Matter of Time, A

by westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist



Category: The West Wing
Genre: Episode Tag, Episode: s05e06 Disaster Relief, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2004-01-15
Updated: 2004-01-15
Packaged: 2019-05-15 13:23:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,525
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14791311
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist/pseuds/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist
Summary: J/D  post-epDisaster Relief





	Matter of Time, A

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

**A Matter of Time**

**by:** Annmarie  


**Category/Pairing:** J/D  post-ep " _Disaster Relief_ "  
**Rating:** TEEN  
**Spoilers:** up to "Disaster Relief"  
**Disclaimer:** Not mine and I am making no money from them.  
**Notes:** My love for Janel Moloney and Donna Moss knows no bounds (and I'm a straight woman) and Disaster Relief just cemented that love.  
**Feedback:** Is most appreciated. 

"The owl habitat workfare project?" Josh snorted as he tossed a folder on the desk. 

"Yeah I may have been drunk when I started that one," Donna didn't look up from the folder she was reading. 

"This one was good though," she handed him a teacher recruitment initiative. 

"Thanks Donna." 

"You're welcome," she answered while reading. 

"Not for the file, although that's part of it, thanks for your help and your concern." 

Donna looked up and for the first time since the Carrick debacle Josh saw her true feelings, the pain she was feeling for him. 

"You were right Josh, about the launcher." 

"You've learned by now that right isn't always in this life," he smirked. 

"Yeah," she smiled sadly. 

"You know the good thing about being cut out of the loop?" he returned the smile. 

"What's that?" 

"I'm done for the day and it's only 8:00 PM. Could I take you to dinner?" 

"Do we need to stop and yell at any landmarks on the way?" she sassed as she tossed the folders back in the accordion file. 

"Well, I do have a bone to pick with the Smithsonian, but that can wait," he shrugged. 

********* 

"Can I confess something?" Donna asked as she leaned back in the booth and sipped her wine. 

"Of course," Josh smiled. 

"I don't hate Ryan," she managed to keep a straight face. 

"Neither do I," Josh shook his head. 

"He's not really in it for the politics though," Donna finished her glass of wine. 

"He's no Donnatella Moss, that's for sure," Josh poured her some more wine. 

"He'll probably be happy to know you won't confuse him with a blonde woman." 

"I'm not sure what I ever did to deserve you Donna. I'm serious, you just fell in my lap." 

"I've never actually been in your lap," Donna snorted. 

"There's a first time for everything." 

"You're feeling better," it was a statement instead of a question. 

The waitress brought more wine and a comfortable silence descended on the secluded table. 

"You know if I really wanted to piss off Leo..." 

"You haven't done enough of that in the past few days?" she chuckled. 

"It's feast or famine with me you know." 

"You borrow someone's cliché thesaurus?" 

"What I was going to say, before your witty interruptions, was if I really wanted to piss of Leo I'd finally tell you how I really feel." 

Donna sensed a dangerous conversation on the horizon and she put up her hand in the universal sign for "stop." 

"I love you Donna." 

"Did you not see the stop sign?" she indicated her raised hand with her free hand. 

"You don't seem particularly surprised," Josh smirked. 

"Would you be surprised if I told you I loved you too?" 

"No," Josh shook his head and glanced down at his hands on the table. 

"Did you break up with Amy?" there was no accusation in her voice. 

"I wasn't dating Amy." 

"Did you stop sleeping with her then?" there was a little accusation that time. 

"You left me to go back to Freeride," Josh tossed back. 

"Joshua, we had known each other for 2 months when I left, we had hardly come this far," she fiddled with the salt shaker. 

"I was already in love with you," Josh admitted. 

Donna laughed so loud the people at the next table looked up. 

"I was!" Josh defended. 

"I was a 25 year old college drop out with a penchant for over exaggerating." 

"Correction, you were a witty, clever, drop-dead gorgeous 25 year old college dropout with a penchant for over exaggerating." 

Donna tucked her chin in to hide her smile and the blush creeping up her neck. 

"You've really managed to talk your way out of the Amy thing," she collected herself and looked him in the eye. 

"Could I maybe get a stay of execution on that one for a couple of days? I'll talk about it, just later," he sighed. 

"You know I'm opposed to the death penalty, so you're off the hook for now." 

"You won't leave me for the cappuccino man?" 

"You may want to get one of those hats," she pointed to her head in that completely endearing way and he leaned over and kissed her. 

"While that was very nice," Donna whispered as they broke apart, "Leo will seriously fire your ass if it ends up in the paper tomorrow." 

"I'm walking a fine line as it is. Want to...?" he cocked his head toward the door. 

Donna just nodded and slid out of the booth. Josh paid the check and followed her out the door. It was lightly raining and Donna walked away from the cab stand. 

"Donna?" Josh asked as he pointed toward a cab. 

"Let's walk." 

"It's raining," he stated incredulously. 

"You won't melt Joshua. It's a nice rain," she tilted her face to the rain. 

"Between this and loving the likes of me you may qualify for 21 days observation." 

"You do drive me crazy," she tossed over her shoulder and batted her eyes at him. 

"Wwwhere are we going?" Josh stuttered at the suddenly sexy stride she employed. 

"The pharmacy on the corner of Wisconsin and M." 

"You need lip gloss at 11:30?" 

"You may not have everything I need at your place," she grinned. 

"Feast or famine..." Josh mumbled as he followed her. 

********** 

Donna made her way through CVS without a pause and came to a halt at the pharmacy. 

"Oh hey Donna," the woman behind the counter smiled. 

"Hi Jeanine," Donna smiled. 

"Hold on one sec, I'll grab your prescription," the young woman smiled as she typed something into a computer. 

Donna paid for her medication and exited the store, with Josh on her heels. 

"Whatchya got there Donnatella?" Josh smiled. 

"Claritin," Donna showed him the receipt. 

"Allergy medicine? You got me all excited over allergy medicine?" he gaped. 

"You are very easily excited Josh," Donna smiled as they approached Josh's apartment. 

"I just finally got up the nerve to kiss you after wanting that more than anything in the world for the past 5 years and you lead me on with Claritin!" 

"I can be funny like that," she leaned over and kissed him quickly before jogging up the stairs to his apartment. 

******** 

"Coffee?" he asked as she curled up on the sofa. 

"Wine?" 

"You sure?" 

She just nodded and knew he was watching her. 

"So now what?" he asked as he sat across from her on the coffee table. 

"You regain your rightful place at the summit of the Democratic party and then we go public sometime around two or three days before the end of the term." 

"The summit of the Democratic party?" he arched an eyebrow at her. 

"We are going to work on those projects and before you know it you are going to be the guy that gets things done, real things, for the people." 

"I told Toby that I can count on one hand the number of people I trust right now, but what I didn't tell him was there may be only one person who actually trusts me back." 

"You're mother?" 

"OK, two people. Thank you Donna, for trusting me." 

"I trust you with my life Joshua, I always have, ever since you gave me that ID card back in New Hampshire." 

"So I ask again, what now?" 

"I think we could explore this relationship further, discreetly for the time being, and come clean when the time is right." 

"How much further are we taking this relationship? Just so I'm clear," he smiled. 

She leaned forward and kissed him softly, finally putting her full attention into the kiss. Not worried about being seen or interrupted. 

He sighed and deepened the kiss, shifting from the table to the couch beside her and pulling her body on top of his. Several minutes had passed when Donna finally stopped. 

"It's almost 1:00, you should get some rest," she went to stand up, but Josh grabbed her wrist. 

"I'm really not tired," he protested. 

Donna glanced down at him and giggled, actually giggled. 

"What?" he smiled back. 

"Look's like I finally wound up in your lap." 

"It was merely a matter of time," he shrugged. 

"It does seem to be about time. Look Josh, you're exhausted and I will not be the reason you lose any more sleep," Donna extracted her hand from his and stood up. 

"That may be beyond your control," he grinned up at her. 

"Go to sleep Joshua. We'll get started on the `what a shame' folder tomorrow," Donna gathered her things. 

Josh stood from the couch and walked her to the door. 

"Sweet dreams Donnatella," he kissed her again. 

"No doubt," she grinned before slipping out the door. 

The End 

**Sequel: "A Matter of Value"**


End file.
